Kat rushed outside to meet the other members waiting for her. Susie waved at her and she joined them.
“I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting. I didn't know when the time went by so fast.” Kat apologized as Susie held her hands. “It's okay. We just got outside too.” The two men with them were lively. You could tell the women had brainwashed them into being a part of their gossip circle. Lee was six feet tall with fine facial features. He looked just like a model, with his athletic body and ripped arms. From the way it looked, he had a big crush on Daya. He was kind of shy and stood close to her. And Matt, the blondie. He was the jester. Two inches shorter than Lee, Matt was the youngest. He wrapped his hands around the women and all of them rushed to the restaurant with smiles. “I'll have steak!” Matt announced. “Who's gonna pay?” Gwen asked and everyone burst into laughter. “We'll treat Kat to our special. The welcome special platter.” Susie said as she held Kat's hand. A black Lexus parked in front of them and everyone halted immediately. It was the devil. “Hello, sir.” They all said, sounding tense. Kat looked into the car and it was Levi. What was he waiting for? He wasn't expecting her to just jump into his car as if they were friends. “Get in the car, Kathleen,” he said. “I'm afraid I have plans, sir. My teammates are treating me to dinner today.” Kathleen replied, holding Susie's hand again. “Kat—” “Let's go guys.” Kathleen cut in before he could finish, leaving with the rest. They walked as fast as they could till they were out of sight. Certain that he wasn't in sight, they burst into laughter again as they entered the restaurant. It was a quick distance to the restaurant, and the ambiance was comforting, giving a warm vibe as soon as you walked in. "Phew, His voice sent shivers down my spine." Daya remarked. "I would immediately get on my knees if it were me." Gwen giggled as they took their seats. “And what would you like to have darlings?” The waitress walked to them. She was in her mid-fifties, her fine voice as she smiled at them. “We'll have the special treat. We have a new team member. Her name is Kathleen,” Matt announced. “Welcome to SweetDine. My name is Leslie, but just call me Nana.” The woman said sweetly. “Nice to meet you, Nana. This place is lovely.” Kat smiled. “And it's just Kat.” “You're free to dine anytime, sweetie. The special FineDine coming right up.” Nana chuckled. “This one is on the house.” She whispered and left. One good thing she was grateful for was that she had the nicest teammates. It was rumored that they were unwelcoming and unfriendly people as a result of you-know-who, but they were the opposite. “So Kat, do you live around here?” Daya asked. “I live in Frolley.” “That’s like almost thirty minutes from here. I live in Hemsway,” Matt said. “We could get on the same bus, I'll be getting off before you though.” Kat nodded, collecting the fries from Lee. They went on and on introducing themselves. The special treat finally arrives and everyone starts digging in. “We call him the Mandrake,” Gwen confessed. “Mandrake? You mean the Mandrake from Earwig and the Witch?” Kat asked in surprise. “The only time we talk to him is in meetings, nothing else,” Susie says with a mouth full of pasta. “And you know the Mandrake hates to be disturbed, barely talks to anyone unless needed. I even wonder if he has any feelings behind those eyes of his.” Lee says. Kat was silent. Levi had changed a lot, his eyes felt like they were hiding a lot of things. His expression felt distant, as if he was shutting everything and everyone out. But that's none of her business. He left without a trace and now surprisingly, he's back, and not only that, he is her boss. "Nobody knows what's going on behind those eyes. They're always cold, dark." Gwen said. "I don't think anyone has ever seen him smile before. Trust me, I'll eat more than a hundred chocolate bars if I ever see him do." Lee chewed a fry then cutely gave one to Daya. "Actually he does --" Kat said, laughing, and there was a sudden silence after. "I mean, well, you know... There's no way he can't smile." There was still silence, their eyes were fixed on her. Kat chuckled dryly and quickly downed some coke, diverting her gaze from hers “oh oh…” Matt began. “I remember one time we were working on a project. It was for the twenty-fifth anniversary of GreyCorps and the Mandrake wanted something special. He had us work straight up for four days with only two hours' break all because the designing team didn't get the blueprint correctly.” “What? That's cruel.” “He was like this.” Matt got up, put his hands in his pockets, and made a straight face. “It's either you choose to slave away or come up with something better.” He mimicked. Everyone began to laugh as Matt continued. “If I was to rate those designs, I wouldn't even know where to start from.” “Or do you remember the time he didn't know he was still on camera after a Zoom meeting,” Daya said. “Yeah, yeah.” They all laughed, Kat, joining in the laughing too. “Is this thing still on? How's this still on?” Matt mimicked again, holding his phone. The laughter died slowly as everyone's attention was focused on Matt differently. “I didn't know he did meetings half dressed too…” Matt's laughter became awkward and dry as he tried to figure out the silence. He missed the signs, the Mandrake was behind him. “He…He's behind me?” He cleared his throat and everyone nodded. Matt turned slowly, swallowing hard as he faced the rigid frame behind him. “I'm…I'm very sorry sir.” Levi didn't say a word. He sat and then folded his arms. Matt and the rest sat closely with themselves, leaving an amount of distance between them, him and Kat. Kat slowly took a drink and looked at the frozen expressions next to her. He was a show wrecker. She felt uncomfortable herself. “Uhmm… why are you here… sir?” Gwen, his assistant, managed to ask. “I decided to join the dinner. It won't be nice to have our newest team member have all the fun alone.” He responded, making the situation even more tense and awkward. “Oh…that's…” Susie bumped Daya to back her up. “Nice… yeah sir,” Daya said, giving Susie a dangerous stare. “We're about to leave now. We didn't know you'd be coming. It's pretty late, right? What do you think guys?” Susie asked, getting up quickly and grabbing her bag. Kat looked at them in surprise, trying to ask them to wait, but they only waved and grabbed their things. The rest followed suit immediately, they waved Kat a quick goodbye, bowed, and headed for the door. “Bye Kat.” Matt waved as he sprinted out immediately. Levi still sat where he was, unmoved as he folded his hands. He only took a fry and rubbed his fingers together. “I'll take my leave now,” Kat said, standing up. “I told you I was going to pick you up after work.” He began, his voice freezing her on the spot. “You didn't allow me to say if I was available or not.” “We did not finish our discussion earlier. It's important we come to an agreement fast.” “I've told you that there's no way I'll live with you. There's no part of the job that said that.” Kat took a seat, leaving enough distance between them. “We can't discuss this here. That is why I said I would pick you up.” “Then no problem, we can simply talk in the office.” Levi took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. To be honest, Kat felt her heart thump a little bit. He looked so darn handsome making that move. “Stop being an idiot Kat!” She thought to herself, brushing away any pictures of him in her mind. “Kathleen.” Her name danced sweetly on his lips. “Please.” Kat stood up and began to head for the door. “Are you coming or not?” While she was not in full support of living with him, she wasn't ready to take any chances. She'd negotiate, do it on her own terms and in her own way. “Kathleen!” She turned to see why he was calling her when she bumped into the waiter, pouring the contents he was carrying on her shirt — again! “Why does every meeting with you have to be chaotic?” She cussed under her breath. “I'm so sorry miss.” The waiter apologized, offering her a napkin. She looked up to see Levi offering her a handkerchief, telling the waiter not to bother. Reluctantly, she collected the kerchief from him and wiped her entirely stained shirt. She would have to give it to the dry cleaners when she got home or throw it away. The shirt had had its own share of drama in one day. To make the situation even more chaotic, the rain began to fall. Kat cussed under her breath the more. The weather forecast never said anything about rain falling at all. “I guess we'll have to talk about this tomorrow,” Kat said, stretching her hand out in the rain to feel how heavy it was. “I'll drive you home.” “It's okay, the bus stop is not far from here.” She kept her hand stretched. “Kathleen, the rain is too heavy for you to walk all the way to the bus stop.” He insisted. “I'm okay. I'll just cover my head with my bag and get there in no time.” “Wait here, I'll take the car around.” He turned, leaving her before she could refuse and heading into the rain. He wasn't even listening to what she was saying at all. Kat put her bag over her head and ran as fast as she could. The bus stop was around a three-minute walk away. If she took quick steps while avoiding slipping and falling, she'd get there in no time. Walking as fast as she could, Kat kept on walking. But the faster she felt she walked, the heavier the rain began. “This was a stupid idea, Kat. You should have waited.” She immediately began to regret her choices. The Lexus car stopped, and she knew who it was. Looking into the car, she could see his face piercing straight into her. “Get in the car, Kathleen.” He said, winding down properly. “I'm almost there, you can go.” She said, the torrent beating down on her. Her clothes were already sticking to her body and the bad was doing a very poor job of shielding her a little. “Kathleen.” His voice sounded more serious. “Get in the car now!” “I'm not going home with you.” “Are you crazy? Nobody is talking about going anywhere with me but that you get in the fucking car now before I do something you don't like!” Lightning flashed, making everywhere bright for a split second and the loud bang of thunder. Before he could speak any further, Kathleen got into the car as quickly as the lightning that struck some seconds ago."Fine, I'll live with you." Kat took a deep breath. It was definitely a bad idea -- being close to him, living with him, seeing him every day. She wasn't ready to open the wounds she had tried so hard to heal, to get away from. Freya Jourdan was already demanding a meeting and they hadn't even started work. There were other details that Rowland never mentioned concerning the project. "But for three months, nothing more than that." "This project requires our total dedication and concentration." His eyes rested on hers, causing her to look away immediately and focus on her bag. "We'll talk about this tomorrow." She was careful not to say his name. Except during work, of course, anything aside that meant she was comfortable with him and that was the last thing she wanted. Kat got out of the car before he could even say anything and closed the door. She didn't turn to wave him goodbye. Knowing where she lived was the height of it, they were not friends. Tired and shivering fro
- Five years ago -Kat beamed with smiles as they walked hand in hand. It was a date with Levi and she couldn't wait to give him the bracelet she had stayed up all night to weave.The clear blue sky was designed with clouds, making it look as if it was a painting. Levi's free hand locked with hers as they walked towards a shade. “What?” Kat asked, her cheeks flushing red and heart fluttering as he looked at her. “Why do you look so beautiful?” he pulled her cheek gently. “I don't know, maybe it's because I'm the most beautiful in the world.” Kat put her hands behind her back, swaying her body back and forth. Levi Grey. The one that captured her heart. How they met was funny. She was a new graduate and working as an intern in HaloTech, a top rated tech company. “Hi,” She waved. “Is that seat taken?”“Hi!” He smiled, his fine dentition accentuating the beauty of his face. “Not at all.” Kat smiled back and went in to sit by the window seat. She hadn't been interested in going on t
“Hello, ma'am. My name is Guntar, Mr. Levi's personal driver. He asked me to pick you up.” The middle-aged man greeted her warmly, his voice steady and polite. His gray hair, streaked with black, was neatly combed back, adding to his composed demeanor. Kat blinked, caught off guard. “Hi— but...” Before she could finish, her phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number flashed on the screen: Message: The driver will pick you up. Please don't refuse. There was no mistaking who it was. Levi. How did he even know her number? She didn't remember mentioning to him that she would be moving the next day. Guntar stood by the door, his posture respectful, hands clasped behind his back. He looked prepared to wait as long as necessary, his calm eyes watching her with a subtle smile, as if he already knew she would try to say no. Kat glanced back at her phone, her heart quickening. The words felt less like a request and more like a command, wrapped in politeness. Levi’s tone left li
Rosa dragged her feet along the hall, her heels feeling like torture devices after a long day. Her boss, Nate, was a real pain. She couldn’t tell if he just disliked her for no reason or if she’d tortured him in her past life and this was payback. She hated events like charity fundraisers. The room was filled with fake smiles and silent competition about who was richer, more influential, or more popular. The forced greetings and small talk wore her out, but she had to play along for Valtara’s sake. As she walked closer, she spotted Nate near the entrance, looking as composed as ever. He wore a perfectly tailored dark suit that showed off his athletic build, broad shoulders, and trim waist. His black hair was neatly styled, and his cool blue eyes were sharp, catching everything around him. There was no denying he was handsome, the kind of guy who drew attention the moment he walked into a room. But for Rosa, his good looks were hard to appreciate when she remembered how much he over
The sun's rays peeked through the yellow curtains, casting a warm, golden glow across the room. Kat lay there, trying to resist the pull of sleep. She didn’t want to give in, didn’t want to accept that she’d agreed to live in the same house as Levi. A soft knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. She sluggishly turned to the other side of the bed, her eyelids too heavy to open. The comfort of finally giving in to sleep was too satisfying. “Kathleen?” His voice came from behind the door. Kat groaned, muttering under her breath as she forced her eyes open. The sunlight felt too bright now, piercing through the remnants of sleep. “Kathleen?” Levi called again, this time knocking a little harder. “It’s time for breakfast, and you haven’t been out of bed.” She glanced at her phone. 10:33 a.m. It wasn’t even the weekend. Luckily they would be working from home so she would have enough time to come back to sleep. “I’ll be out in a minute,” she responded, her voice hoarse from sleep.
“Are you okay?” Nate’s voice broke through the haze as Rosa slowly sat up, her head pounding like a drum. Her surroundings were unfamiliar, and the sight of Nate’s concerned face hovering over her made her heart skip a beat. He looked at her like she might break any second. “Where am I?” Rosa asked, her voice barely a whisper. “You're in the hospital,” Nate replied, his tone gentle but laced with worry. “You passed out.” “What?” Rosa’s mind scrambled to piece together what had happened. The last thing she remembered was taking a step and then… falling? But she didn’t hit the floor. “Oh my God!” She quickly checked under the covers, her eyes darting back to Nate. “What are you looking for?” Nate asked, raising an eyebrow. Rosa stared at him, her mind racing. Had she done something embarrassing? Like… kissing him? Yes, she’d fantasized about kissing those gorgeous lips of his, but not in reality. Except… “Did anything embarrassing happen? Did I do…” Rosa trailed off, too ner
“We're going on a trip!” Susie squealed and rested on Kat's table. “A trip?” She asked in surprise, her eyes wandering into Levi's office. He didn't mention anything about any trip. Well — he could not — she had made sure to avoid him after his confession to seeing someone else. It's not like she was jealous or ill-meaning but it hurt knowing that he didn't even bother to ask how she'd felt. But whatever!“Yeah! Oh I can't wait to finally breathe in new air. The last time we went on a trip was almost a year ago.” Susie sighed. “Oh. I didn't know GreyCorps allowed their workers some leisure.” Kat snorted. “It just recently got better. Can you believe that the Mandrake always had us go to Springfield on every trip?” Susie said with seriousness. “I guess that's where he met his first love or something.”“Ha!” Kat cleared her throat and began to arrange some papers. “He might just like it there, yunno?”“I know someone missing his first love when I see one. He sits at an exact spot
Levi’s gaze lingered on Kat as she focused intently on her plate, a thin shield against his probing curiosity. He leaned back in his chair, his arms folding casually, but his eyes carried a weight that unsettled her. She had dodged one of his questions earlier, but knowing Levi, it wouldn’t be the last. “I’ve got some new books if you wanna check them out,” he said, his voice light, almost teasing. Kat’s ears perked up at the mention of books, but she quickly masked her interest. “Please tell me it’s something other than romance this time?” A slow grin spread across his face. “Actually, it’s more of that.” Her fork hovered mid-air. “You’re still into romance?” “Not a fan anymore?” he asked, tilting his head in mock surprise. She paused, momentarily caught off guard. She’d forgotten how much he used to know about her, back when they’d bonded over books… or, more accurately, when he’d spoiled *Fourth Wing* for her during that intern trip five years ago. “Yup. Lost my tast
Wren's tiny studio apartment felt more claustrophobic than ever, suffocating her with the weight of impending doom. Clothes were scattered across the bed, half-packed into a battered backpack. She moved with frantic energy, hands shaking as she double-checked her flashlight. Her lips were pressed into a grim line, betraying the dread bubbling beneath her surface. Raya, her best friend, leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, worry etched deep into her features. “Are you sure that’s the best idea, Wren?” she asked cautiously. “I don’t know.” Wren’s voice cracked as she zipped her bag halfway. “But either way, he’s gonna have my head on a plate. I’ve tried everything, Raya. He’s not going to listen to any more excuses.” She shoved a pair of sneakers into the bag with trembling hands. “I can’t just sit here waiting for them to come. Running might be the only shot I have.” Raya sighed, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “Wren, this isn’t just some random guy we’re talking abou
Wren's tiny studio apartment felt more claustrophobic than ever, suffocating her with the weight of impending doom. Clothes were scattered across the bed, half-packed into a battered backpack. She moved with frantic energy, hands shaking as she double-checked her flashlight. Her lips were pressed into a grim line, betraying the dread bubbling beneath her surface. Raya, her best friend, leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, worry etched deep into her features. “Are you sure that’s the best idea, Wren?” she asked cautiously. “I don’t know.” Wren’s voice cracked as she zipped her bag halfway. “But either way, he’s gonna have my head on a plate. I’ve tried everything, Raya. He’s not going to listen to any more excuses.” She shoved a pair of sneakers into the bag with trembling hands. “I can’t just sit here waiting for them to come. Running might be the only shot I have.” Raya sighed, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “Wren, this isn’t just some random guy we’re talking about.
Wren's tiny studio apartment felt more claustrophobic than ever, suffocating her with the weight of impending doom. Clothes were scattered across the bed, half-packed into a battered backpack. She moved with frantic energy, hands shaking as she double-checked her flashlight. Her lips were pressed into a grim line, betraying the dread bubbling beneath her surface.Raya, her best friend, leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, worry etched deep into her features. “Are you sure that’s the best idea, Wren?” she asked cautiously.“I don’t know.” Wren’s voice cracked as she zipped her bag halfway. “But either way, he’s gonna have my head on a plate. I’ve tried everything, Raya. He’s not going to listen to any more excuses.” She shoved a pair of sneakers into the bag with trembling hands. “I can’t just sit here waiting for them to come. Running might be the only shot I have.”Raya sighed, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “Wren, this isn’t just some random guy we’re talking about. Thi
His hazel eyes darted around me like a predator meeting its prey, his arms folded as he rested on the wall scanning my body with interest and attention. I swallowed hard, my heart beat was faster than normal and I felt weak in the knees. I could feel his gaze all over my body as the hairs on my body rose up pointily. I literally had goosebumps. He was deadass handsome, even a hundred times better than the pictures and tabloids of him. His physique was gallant and exactly as he was described BUT - he'll be your worst nightmare if you ever cross paths. "What is this Asia? I told you I'm not interested in little virgin girls," He didn't stop looking at my body and then his eyes rested on my chest. He bit his lower lips and scanned me down again "they make too much noise in bed." "Be respectful brother. I told you I was gonna hire you an assistant and here she is" Asia stood next to me, her hands around my shoulder as I stood stiffly in shock. I was so glad she was there with me. Th
She lowered the book, staring down at its bold black cover. “You don’t even know what the hell is in this thing,” she muttered under her breath. Her voice was barely audible, but even that felt too loud in the oppressive silence. She flinched, looking around to make sure no one had noticed. No one seemed to. The workers kept moving, heads down, hands busy. But the eerie quiet still pressed in on her. “Okay, Wren,” she whispered to herself, shifting her weight carefully to ease the ache in her bruised ribs. “Be reasonable. Be smart. You can’t die here. Not now.” Her voice cracked slightly, but she forced herself to keep talking. “Play along. Clean floors. Scrub windows. Whatever they want. Just… stay alive.” The cleaning supplies were crude, old-fashioned brushes and rags tossed into a dented metal bucket. Wren grabbed them quickly, her movements stiff and jerky, and dragged them to the nearest corner. Her knees screamed in protest as she crouched down, running the coarse brush
Wren sank onto the bed, wincing as pain flared through her ribs. Her muscles felt like they’d been torn apart and stitched back together with barbed wire. But even through the haze of exhaustion and pain, her mind raced. She wouldn’t survive this place by chance. She had to be smarter, faster, better. And she had to escape before Riven decided her usefulness had run out. A sharp knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. She opened it to find a tall, scarred man with a permanent scowl. “Work starts now,” he barked, thrusting a thick book into her hands. She barely caught it, its weight nearly knocking her off balance. The words Rule Book were stamped in bold letters on the cover. “You’ve got one job,” the man growled, his voice low and dangerous. “Follow the rules. And don’t make me regret letting you live.” Wren’s grip tightened on the book as the door slammed shut. She swallowed the bile rising in her throat. This wasn’t survival. This was a game. And if she wa
Hey thought the biggest threat was losing the project…But the real danger was standing right beside them. Kat's return to GreyCorps was supposed to be simple—work alongside Levi, keep Iris at arm’s length, and secure the Jourdan Project. But everything changes the day Mr. Gallagher arrives. One bump in the hallway, one careless "accident," and suddenly Kat finds herself in the middle of something far bigger than she could have imagined. Encrypted files. Stolen passwords. Framed for fraud. Someone is setting Levi up to take the fall, and Kat is the only one who sees the warning signs. But as she begins to dig, the cracks in GreyCorps grow wider. Every corner she turns, Gallagher is there. Watching. Waiting. Smiling. And Iris? She’s not just part of the problem—she is the problem. But proving it won’t be easy. Because when Kat finally unearths the truth, it comes with a price. And it might just cost her the person she’s beginning to fall for. In this tangled web of decepti
His hazel eyes darted around me like a predator meeting its prey, his arms folded as he rested on the wall scanning my body with interest and attention.I swallowed hard, my heart beat was faster than normal and I felt weak in the knees. I could feel his gaze all over my body as the hairs on my body rose up pointily. I literally had goosebumps.He was deadass handsome, even a hundred times better than the pictures and tabloids of him. His physique was gallant and exactly as he was described BUT - he'll be your worst nightmare if you ever cross paths. "What is this Asia? I told you I'm not interested in little virgin girls," He didn't stop looking at my body and then his eyes rested on my chest. He bit his lower lips and scanned me down again "they make too much noise in bed." "Be respectful brother. I told you I was gonna hire you an assistant and here she is" Asia stood next to me, her hands around my shoulder as I stood stiffly in shock. I was so glad she was there with me. There
She lowered the book, staring down at its bold black cover. “You don’t even know what the hell is in this thing,” she muttered under her breath. Her voice was barely audible, but even that felt too loud in the oppressive silence. She flinched, looking around to make sure no one had noticed. No one seemed to. The workers kept moving, heads down, hands busy. But the eerie quiet still pressed in on her. “Okay, Wren,” she whispered to herself, shifting her weight carefully to ease the ache in her bruised ribs. “Be reasonable. Be smart. You can’t die here. Not now.” Her voice cracked slightly, but she forced herself to keep talking. “Play along. Clean floors. Scrub windows. Whatever they want. Just… stay alive.” The cleaning supplies were crude, old-fashioned brushes and rags tossed into a dented metal bucket. Wren grabbed them quickly, her movements stiff and jerky, and dragged them to the nearest corner. Her knees screamed in protest as she crouched down, running the coarse brush